GROWING IN THE PROPHETIC
BY MIKE BICKLE

Reviewed by Johnny Pardoe from Dublin

I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to read and I read the whole thing in practically two sittings. They were two long sittings, but because he is thorough in explanation and also good at recalling stories, it was easy going.

It is definitely a ‘Leaders Manual’ to handling the prophetic in your church rather than an apologetic for prophecy. I thought the title was a little misleading, as on first glance it appears to be a book written by someone with an amazing prophetic gifting. I think if the book was called "What is prophecy and how is the best way to minister it?" it would be more accurate, but maybe that is a little long winded.

Having said all that, it is a very well thought out and clearly defined text. I was helped by the way he rarely made any statements without qualifying them and referred often to Scripture. Some books make sweeping statements or even small points without explanation, like they either assume you know already or they just cannot prove it. After about 100 pages I realized this wasn’t the case. At no time did he repeat himself or bore me.

The introduction is good because it involves the reader by recalling Bickle’s initial reluctance to be involved in the prophetic. This personal admission of confusion and weakness makes you feel "I can relate to this guy, he is ordinary." I have really only come across prophecy personally since my trip to Sheffield in December 2000 when it was part of the conference I attended. This book is good at explaining it from scratch. Perhaps it is a good thing that the author’s primary gift is not as a ‘prophet’. He explains the New Testament church is a place where everyone can prophecy, taking care not use prophetic ‘buzz words’ which can make this topic hard to understand. The book as a result takes a clinical, objective view of prophecy.

It is very honest by dealing with negative experiences and perceived negative experiences. These would include times when things get out of hand in the public setting of a church. People often start to take the glory due to God onto themselves. They can use the gift to their own gain, misinterpret Words or say something when they were not meant to. He tells us that a true Word said wrong is worse than a fake Word. Perceived negative experiences include when God is silent or when He uses vehicles to convey his Word that we are unable to accept or put in our religious boxes.

The book’s main theme is that prophecy is of paramount importance in the church but it is potentially one of the most "dangerous" gifts. More than a pinch of wisdom is needed by people in leadership to help prevent a good gift of God becoming a tool for corruption and power. I would say 'Growing in the Prophetic' opened my eyes to what prophecy really is and how, if properly used, it can reach the churched and the unchurched. I would recommend this book to all leaders who want to know more about how God can speak today.